That Book About Harvard - Kester

I usually write my own descriptions, but this week...sorry, just no time!  I believe I got this all from Amazon...

That Book About Harvard, Eric Kester

"Eric Kester has written the kind of book I wish I had the courage and insight to write. His illuminations on everything from Larry Summers to the Harvard football team to cheating, tourists, and competitiveness are dead–on. His writing has also provided me with some of the best laugh–out–loud moments I've had in recent years. God knows Harvard could use some humor!" —Peter Olson, Former CEO of Random House, Harvard Graduate and current Harvard professor

One of the most thrilling and terrifying days of your life is the first day of college, when you step onto campus filled with the excitement of all the possibilities ahead—and panic about if you'll make it and how you'll fit in.

Now imagine that same feeling, but you're in the middle of the lawn at the world's most prestigious university.
In your underwear.

Thus begins one of the craziest years ever at Harvard, in which Eric Kester finds himself in a cheating scheme, trying to join a prestigious Finals Club, and falling for a stunning type-A brunette...who happened to be standing there in shock that first day when he made his red-faced stroll across the Harvard Yard.

That Book about Harvard is the hilarious and heartwarming story of trying to find your place in a new world, the unending quest to fit in, and how the moments that change your life often happen in the most unexpected ways.

Eric Kester graduated from Harvard in 2008, where he wrote a popular column for the undergraduate newspaper, the Crimson. Now a featured writer for CollegeHumor.com, Eric has also contributed to the Boston Globe, someEcards.com, and Dorkly.com."

I agree, it was quite funny while also informative. Definitely worth a read!!

3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

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Tuesday Tunes - 05/28/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd, Artist
Roger Waters and David Gilmour, Writers




Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?
Come on, now,
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again.
Relax.
I'll need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.

O.K.
Just a little pinprick.
There'll be no more aaaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good.
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown,
The dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

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Mondays - 05/27/13

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.


Tech week here...

I'll be reading nothing but this for days:

 

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About to get crazy up in here...

Source" www.microsoft.com

Things are about to get crazy up in here...

This weekend starts "tech-week" for Steel Magnolias, which for all you non-theater types means that I relinquish my life and become a zombie for several days, traveling from one responsibility to another, often skipping meals and certainly losing hours of sleep, culminating in what is hopefully an awesome and amazing opening night.

Typically, a producer sits back at this point and watches the cast and crew work their magic...stepping in only to stop people from clawing each others' eyes out due to stress. Unfortunately, our stage manager is relatively new and therefore at this time I am switching gears and stepping into stage manager mode and "calling" the show. That means that I have carried one of the most stressful roles thus far and, just as relief arrives, I am taking on the next most stressful role!

What we crazy theater geeks won't do for a good show...

Anyway, I have prearranged a few posts but do not be surprised if I disappear for a few weeks as I wonder aimlessly, eyes bugged out (assuming they are not clawed out by some overstressed lighting designer), drooling a bit, and mumbling to myself, "Go light cue six...go...Go, GO SIX..GO...GO...GO!!!!"

See you soon!

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A Gift of Hope - Steel

A short, but powerful follow-up to her memoir His Bright Light, Danielle Steel's A Gift of Hope is a look into the bestselling author's life after the loss of her son and her efforts to focus her pain into making a difference in other's lives, a difference that perhaps she feels she was unable to make for her son.

Shortly after the lose of her son, Steel comes into contact with a homeless person near her home. She offers what she can, something she has no doubt her son would have done, but finds it is not enough. After powerful prayer and soul searching, she decides to do more.

Steel assembled a team and, for eleven years, ventured out on a monthly basis to provide the San Francisco homeless with coats, warm socks, sleeping bags, and other needed supplies. Avoiding publicity of her efforts, she paid for these supplies herself and no one on the team was ever paid for their time. All were there for the love of sharing and caring for others. In this moving memoir, Steel finally shares her story in the hopes of finding continued support and help for the homeless souls who need so badly. Well written and full of hope.


3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

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Tuesday Tunes - 05/21/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Me And Charlie Talking
Miranda Lambert, Artist & Writer






Me and Charlie boy used to go walking, sittin' in the woods behind my house
When being lovers meant a stolen kiss and holding hands with nobody else around
Charlie said he wanted to get married but we were only ten so we'd have to wait
He said we'd never let our love run dry like so many do these days

So you treat your love like a firefly, like it only gets to shine for a little while
Catch it in a mason jar with holes in the top and run like hell to show it off
Oh, promises were made when we'd go walkin', that's just me and Charlie talking

Charlie always said he'd like to leave here, so he turned eighteen and he left our sleepy town
Letters came and went and I kept waiting for Charlie to come back and bring the life he'd found
Funny how time and distance change you the road you take don't always lead you home
You can start a love with good intentions and then you look up and it's gone

So you treat your love like a firefly like it only gets to shine for a little while
Catch it in a mason jar with holes in the top and run like hell to show it off
Oh, promises were made when we were walking that's just me and Charlie talking

Now and then I sometimes think of Charlie and how we thought we new it all back then
Now I'd give anything to feel love from a child's heart again

So you treat your love like a firefly like it only gets to shine for a little while
Catch it in a mason jar with holes in the top and run like hell to show it off
Oh, promises were made when we were walking that's just me and Charlie talking

La, la, la, la, la, la,
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
La, la, la, la, la, la

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Mondays - 05/20/13

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.


Been busy, two weeks until my show goes up, so not much reading going on here....

STILL Reading: 
The Dog Stars (Peter Heller)

Just Finished:

That Book About Harvard (Eric Kester)

On Deck:

I have no clue...

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January First - Schofield

January First: A Child's Descent into Madness and Her Father's Struggle to Save Her by Michael Schofield is the very sad story of a father trying desperately to save his daughter from an unseen, essentially uncontrollable disease.

January Schofield is a genius. Her IQ is rated at well over one hundred when she is just six years old. Her academic abilities are on par with high school students - smart ones. But, with this ability comes difficulty. She is barely able to sleep, keeping her parents running her all day just to tire her out. She constantly talks to her imaginary friends (400 the cat, 24 Hours the little girl, etc.), seemingly to entertain her herself since no one else can. She often retreats into her magical land of "Calalini", where the temperature increases right along with Janni's psychosis.

Shortly after Janni's parents have a second child, with hopes of producing a similarly brilliant child who can keep Janni engaged, Janni develops violent tendencies. Her imaginary friends tell her to hurt her brother, Bohdi, when he cries. They tell her to jump out of second story windows. They tell her she must hurt the family dog or they punish and hurt her. After many psychiatrist visits and several inpatient stays at local psychiatric hospitals, a diagnosis is finally made. Janni has child-onset schizophrenia, the worst possible outcome.  Both families have schizophrenia and mental illness in the background, it is therefore not a surprise.

This memoir is that of a father trying to save his child from a horrible situation over which he has no control. He is, of course, pushed to the edge. It is only his love for his child that keeps him fighting for, and with, Janni.This book tells about his struggle to finally achieve some hope for the future.

Overall this was an alright read, quick and entertaining. Sadly, or maybe appropriately, it makes the parents look pretty bad - Mom comes off as a whiner with anger control issues, Dad admits that he take antidepressants to actually control his anger and spends much of the book whining. Strange, but true. Ultimately, I think the book expresses the most important point well, that both parents love and support their daughter (and son) and want the best for her, as hard or unlikely as that seems at times.

2/5- Just okay.  Choose with extreme prejudice.


 

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Tuesday Tunes - 05/14/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

And So It Goes

Billy Joel, Artist and Writer

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

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Mondays - 05/13/13

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Currently Reading: 
The Dog Stars (Peter Heller)

Just Finished:

That Book About Harvard (Eric Kester)

On Deck:

I have no clue...

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I Suck At Girls - Halpern

In his hilarious, Sh*t My Dad Says, bestseller Justin Halpern shares the hilarity of his situation after moving back to live with his parents after his long-term girlfriend and he part ways.

In I Suck At Girls, Halpern continues his story as he and his gal-pal have worked things out and he is ready to ask her to marry him. He goes on to share a collection of relationship stories, from his first kiss to his current relationship, and laughs at himself all the way through.

As always, his father's take on this decision is hilarious and blunt.

As Halpern himself points out, it is due much to his ability to see the hilarity in his father's quick wit that has enabled his sudden and outrageous success, not so much his own exceptional humor or brilliance. And though this book is engaging and entertaining, frankly I felt that this collection wasn't quite as  funny as his first book. A cute "marshmallow" read for between those really great, deep reads.


 3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

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Tuesday Tune - 05/07/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Happy Birthday

The Muppet Show Band

Seriously?!  You need the lyrics?

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April ReCap 2013...

 

April 2013 Update


Well, April was supposed to be calmer and more relaxed around here...but in light of the Boston Marathon bombing mess, a good week was lost to stress and craziness. So, it wasn't quite as successful as I would have liked, but ultimately I did my best. Things move along with shows and rehearsals and, well, life is busy as usual!


This month I read:
Total Read: 3
YTD: 16
Adult: 3
YA/children's: 0
Abandoned: 1


Including:
I Suck At Girls - Justin Halpern
A Gift of Hope - Danielle Steel
January First - Michael Schofield

Abandoned: The Lifeboat (abandoned purely due to time purposes, I intend on finishing this asap)

Favorite Book(s) of the Month:
None of them were particularly great, most of them were short. I guess I would say
A Gift of Hope - Danielle Steel


Challenges Update:
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge = 16 of 58
A-Z Book Challenge = 11 of 26
Library Reading Challenge = 16 of 36
E-Book Reading Challenge = 5 of 25
What's in a Name 6 Challenge = 4 of 6

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Brain on Fire - Cahallan

Slight physical issues: numbness in her limbs and dizziness, didn't much worry Susannah Cahallan. In the prime of her life, she was working her dream job at the New York Post, and in a new relationship with a wonderful boyfriend. Life was good.

Then, one night while watching television, she experienced a seizure. After multiple appointments with doctors, the best they could come up with was she was partying too hard, drinking to much.

But they were very wrong. And, eventually, her body betrayed her. She slipped into a psychotic state for more than a month and, despite efforts from various specialties, no one could quite figure out what was wrong. As she slipped slowly towards catatonia and possible death, a last minute addition to her medical team saved her life. Well-known neurologist Souhel Najjar, recognized, after a slew of tests, Susannah's signs. Susannah's brain was "on fire", her immune system was attacking them her brain cells due to a sort of autoimmune disease.

In Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, Susannah Cahallan tells about her harrowing experience, her possible death, and her struggle to recover and regain her life. Only with the assistance of her family's journals and notes is she able to recreate much of the experience as she has little memory of her month of madness. But she offers hope that her experience will ensure that someone else, anyone else, might not have to suffer as she did.

A medical mystery and intense memoir, this book was a great read. A trained journalist, Cahalan presents the facts honestly, with as much verification as she can offer given her state, while keeping it personal and entertaining. Worth a read!


3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

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Tuesday Tunes - 04/30/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

I Would Be Stronger Than That

Faith Hill, Artist

Faith Hill & Gary Burr, Writers

There's a friend who will call
When her husband's asleep
Crossing the phone lines for comfort
And she cries that she needs him and
Someday he'll change
And now's not a good time to go
And it isn't my place to say leave him and run
That no love is worth all the damage he's done
But if she'll hold her ground
Then I'll hold my tongue
Ever the diplomat
Oh, I'd like to think
That I would be stronger than that

Where's her head
Where's her nerve
Does part of her think this is all she deserves
Oh, I would be stronger
I would not stay one minute longer
I would be stronger than that

It started out good they usually do
Then one day it's taken for granted
'Til words become weapons and love turns to pain
Oh, why is she still holding on
She says living without him is too hard to face
And I try to imagine myself in her place
But with well chosen words and well placed tears
She forgives him in two seconds flat
Oh, I'd like to think
That I would be stronger than that

Where's her head
Where's her nerve
Does part of her think this is all she deserves
Oh, I would be stronger
I would not stay one minute longer
I would be stronger than that

I know what she's thinking and I know what she'd say
That my life and her life are like night and like day
And her love is the love that will save him
Brave words but I don't believe them

Where's her head
Where's her nerve
Does part of her think this is all she deserves
Oh, I would be stronger
I would not stay one minute longer
I would be stronger than that

Oh, I would be stronger
I would not wait one minute longer
I would be stronger than that

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A to Z Challenge - Z

A zoom lens is one which has an adjustable focal length, as opposed to a prime lens, which has one set focal length.Some zoom lenses have adjustable aperture, and others have a set aperture. Those with a set aperture cost considerably more!

Zipping it all up...

This  month has been really cool playing with my new camera, watching an outrageous number of YouTube videos, paging through photography books from the library, and then sharing all the new information with my wonderful readers! I was very surprised at the response I got, as it seems they actually learned something!  My only regret is that I wasn't able to get more photographs included in the posts....just so much going on.

But...

For anyone who is interested in hearing more from me (what, are you crazy?!), learning more about photography, or watching my skills develop (hopefully!!), I have decided to start another blog.

You can find my photography exploits at:


PhotoLAgraphy

Come check it out and support my efforts to become a real photographer!

Thanks for following my A to Z Challenge!

Success!!

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Mondays - 04/29/13

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Currently Reading:

That Book About Harvard (Eric Kester)

Just Finished:

January First (Michael Schofield)

On Deck:

An ever growing list!

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A to Z Challenge - Y

"When you adjust the lens or film standard of a large format camera by tilting it sideways and then follow by applying swing to the same standard you’ll find that it will not be parallel in any axis to the other standard. To ensure sharp focus you then need to make multiple adjustments. A camera with yaw free movements allows the photographer to tilt and swing either standard without having to re-adjust after..."

Meaning, I have a lot more to learn!

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A to Z Challenge - X

X is a tough one!

The X-sync is the socket on an external flash that ensure that the flash will go off when the shutter opens.  This begs the question, external flash?!

The in camera flash isn't a great flash... It tends to be very close to your subject and often washes out your photo. Some cameras do enable you to control not only turning it on or off, but also the percentage of brightness. And, of course, you can always utilize various tools to try to defuse the light from the flash, to soften it.

But, generally, a photographer may want to utilize external flash. An external flash can be attached to your camera as needed and many come with the ability to focus the light either on the subject (disfused or not) or to focus the light on another object, such as a wall or white sheet, which will enable the lit to bounce off and hit the subject in a softer, less direct manner.

You can also utilize multiple flash units (attached to the camera or not) which can give a photographer, for example, backlight. In this case, the X-sync would enable the flash to go off in a timely manner to coincide with the shot.

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A to Z Challenge - W

Artificial (non-sunlight) light comes in many forms, fluorescent, tungsten, etc. Each type of light has  a different "color temperature" - fluorescent light is very harsh and almost greenish, tungsten tends to be more orange or yellow. Our eyes compensate for those differences and try to make everything neutral. Cameras doe not have that ability and record the light color exactly as it truly is. So, in photography, you will often hear the term white balance. 

White balance enables you to adjust the color temperature of the actual lighting to be more appealing to the eye in a final photograph. Generally speaking, white balance is an issue than can be more easily dealt with after the photo has been downloaded into a photography program on a computer (Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.) as you will be better able to see the quality, but it can be done on the camera before the photo is shot. Some cameras have manual white balance control, where you select the type of lighting from a list, but most adjust the color automatically

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